This invention relates to a chemical laser and, more specifically, to an ultraviolet chemical laser in which the lasing species is either CS or CSe.
The emission of chemical lasers are usually to be found in the infrared or visible spectrum. Chemical lasers (of the combustion driving type) typically employ HF and DF as the lasing species; transfer lasers, where CO.sub.2 is the lasing species, are also known. However, all these species lase in the infrared, not the ultraviolet spectrum. Obviously, use of an ultraviolet chemical laser is preferable to a laser emitting in the infrared or visible if greater penetration into the atmosphere is desired. Gas phase lasers emitting in the U.V. spectrum are also known but are very difficult to scale up.
According to the invention, there is provided a method and apparatus for producing a laser having an output in the ultraviolet spectrum (3500A-4500A) which comprises the steps of: reacting atomic carbon in an inert diluent gas to produce CS and CSe molecules in the a.sup. 3 .pi. state; pumping the CS and CSe(a.sup.3 .pi.) molecules in an optical cavity, and emitting ultraviolet lasing radiation from the cavity.